There are 5 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2020 Kia Soulin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her son was driving at approximately 35 MPH and going up a slight hill, the vehicle stalled. The contact's son said multiple unknown warnings illuminated. The son depressed the brake pedal and felt that it was very hard to depress. The son was able to restart the vehicle and continued on to his destination. The contact stated that the engine stalling failure had occurred once, however the failure of the brakes had occurred several times. The contact's son stated that when he was slowing the vehicle, as he was in reverse (R) backing out of a parking spot, he was unable to stop the vehicle using the brake pedal and had to use the emergency brake to stop. The son stated that another brake failure occurred as he was slowing for traffic. The son stated that he depressed the brake pedal and it was stiff and the vehicle was not stopping. The front end of his vehicle crashed into the rear end of the vehicle in front. The son said that when the brake failure occurred the check engine, oil check and the battery warning illuminated. The son stated that he used the emergency brake to stop. The police were called and wrote a report, both of the vehicles were drivable and there were no injuries. The son stated that there were minor dents and scratches on the front bumper and grill of his vehicle and dents and scratches on the rear bumper and trunk of the other vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was determined that there was no mechanical issue with the brakes or the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000. The contact stated that in 2021 the vehicle had an engine failure and the engine had been replaced.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side tire was making a metal scraping sound. In addition, the contact stated there was an abnormal chemical odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a stuck valve inside the ABS module, causing the passenger’s side front brake caliper piston to not function as intended, and a brake fluid leak. The hydraulic unit, brake fluid, Pad Kit Front Disk B, and Disk Front wheel Brake parts were replaced and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Engine burning oil..started knocking
My car will not turn on
PROBLEM WITH IDLE STOP/START SYSTEM-WHEN I STOP AT A LIGHT, THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE, I HEAR A LOUD GROAN SOUND, AND THE CAR SHUTTERS BEFORE EVENTUALLY MOVING FORWARD. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SOUND THEY HEARD WAS "NORMAL", BUT IF IT CONTINUED TRY TO GET A AUDIO RECORDING OF THE SOUNDS I WAS HEARING, AND THEY WOULD LOOK IN TO IT. RIDICULOUS! I HAVE SEEN AT LEAST 2 MORE COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. RIGHT NOW I TURN THE FUNCTION OFF AS SOON AS I GET IN THE VEHICLE, WHAT GOOD IS IT IF YOU CAN'T USE IT?
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026